Pokemon Grey short story
by The Silica Pen
Summary: An old pokemon oneshot. Focuses on a coordinater called Grey and his run at the grand festival.


"Welcome, Ladies and gentlemen to the opening of the most anticipated event of the year. The grand festival!" The fireworks bursting overhead were drowned out by the roar of the crowd. "And here are our finalists!" the announcer's voice was almost lost in a new surge of cheers.

Grey stepped out into the stadium with the other finalists; he gulped when he saw how many people were there. "Full house" he whispered. Looking up the line he saw Rio, her features set in determination as usual and further along Kiba, his hands balled into fists. He could feel himself shaking in nervousness, made all the worse by seeing all the strong competition.

Glancing the other way he saw Tanya smiling at him. She reached over and held his hand in the comforting way she always did when he was scared. Grey saw her mouth "Don't worry, It's all gravy." He flashed a shaky smile back and nodded his thanks.

The announcer had been explaining the rules while this silent exchange had been going on and was finally ready to start round one. Grey and Tanya wouldn't be competing today and so when the left the stage they headed towards the stands to check out the competition. When they were alone in one of the many hallways Tanya spoke up, "How you doing? I can tell you're nervous but other than that?"

Grey looked down at the three pokeballs clipped to the shoulder strap of his messenger bag "I feel like, I don't know." he slowed to halt before continuing "I guess I feel like I don't belong here. I mean Rio, Kiba and even you, you're all west end musicals and I'm just panto at the local theatre"

Tanya grabbed both his hands in hers and looked into his eyes, "Look, you deserve to be here as much as anyone else. You earned your five ribbons fair and square, so don't cut yourself down." Grey couldn't help but nod in agreement making her smile warmly. She then let go of one hand and pulled him along by the other, "Come on or we're gonna miss the first round.

Rio stood in the centre of the stage and when given the go ahead she through her pokeball straight up. "Come on out Chatot!" The parrot Pokemon burst out of its pokeball to wild applause "Let's start with double team Chatot." As it flew around the stage Chatot appeared to split into two Pokemon then four, eight and finally sixteen.

"Now feather dance and then sing!" Rio yelled. Chatot began to swirl in and out of each other with practised precision as louse feathers fluttered out and hovered in the air. While the crowd was silent with awe they suddenly burst out in a perfect sixteen-part harmony.

Up in the crowd Grey sank in his seat. "Look she even has the narrator speechless." he groaned covering his face with his hands.

Tanya dug her elbows into his ribs, "So? That's not necessarily a bad thing" But Grey just groaned some more.

Back down on the stage the judges were finishing giving Rio her feedback. "It was marvellous but felt too stiff" nurse Joy was saying, "It didn't flow very well"

Rio bowed and said in her solemn voice "Thank you for your advice I will try to take it on board."

"Look at that folks, modest even when told of her shortcomings" the announcer yelled into her mike.

Rio left and was replaced by an old man with a growlithe. Before long it was time for an intermission, Grey and Tanya went outside to the many street vendors to get some lunch. They had just witnessed Kiba's amazing performance with his tangela and several other standout performances.

Tanya looked over at her childhood friend and saw he was pale and shaking. "Hey what do you want to eat? And why don't you take it back to the room and then get some rest?" She hoped he would be OK for the first round tomorrow, she didn't want all his hard work to be for nought.

Grey shook his head, "No I'm just going to go for a walk and maybe rehearse one more time." He turned off the path and disappeared into the tree line.

Tanya sighed, "If only he didn't worry so much. When he gets on the stage he can't be beat, if only _he_ could see that." She sighed again and turned to the nearest vendor "Give me two portions of whatever you're selling."

Grey hadn't stopped walking since he left Tanya back at the stadium. Soon he broke through the trees and saw a beautiful lake, calm and tranquil; the trees came almost to the water's edge. In the centre was an island covered in flowers. He felt something on his cheek and looked up to see the rain coming down gently.

As the rain hit the flowers a wonderful aroma was released into the air, this in turn caused several butterfree the flutter up out of the field and start to frolic in the rain. Their dance wasn't as polished as Rio's performance but it was so much more awe inspiring. The effect was made even more striking by the light haze formed by the droplets bouncing off of their wings.

Grey stood there with his mouth open for a few minutes before an idea struck him. This was so beautiful because it was entirely natural, if he could replicate even a sixth of that he could give the best performance of his life. He removed his bag and placed on the ground, he hesitated a moment before removing one of the pokeballs, "Centre stage Maria" the light from the pokeball formed into the shape of a sneasel, "I told you I would find a style that would fit you"

"Sneasel?"

"Just follow me." Grey said taking off his jacket, shoes and socks before diving into the lake. When he reached the lake he pulled himself up followed closely by Maria. The butterfree soon noticed them and flitted around them, "Aren't they beautiful?"

"Sneasel" Maria nodded, as overwhelmed as Grey was.

"Now just a few off these." Grey leaned down and picked several flowers and deftly turning them into a chain that he put round Maria's neck. "Perfect fit" he made a second chain this time smaller and placed it on her head, "How does that feel?"

Maria smiled in delight, "Sneasel!"

"Good, but we can't have you swimming around in that so, exit stage right" He held up the pokeball and a beam of red light shot out hitting Maria and drawing her back inside.

"Hey!" Tanya's voice carried across the still water; "I got you something to eat!"

"Thanks, you always know how to cheer me up." He shivered in the cold wind, "I think I will take you up on that offer to take it back to the room"

"If we leave now we should be able to get back in time to catch the second half of round one on TV"

When they got back to the hotel room Grey immediately ran for the shower. Tanya moved into the kitchen and dished out the food, fried combusken and chips, onto a plate and put it in the microwave. It had taken her so long to find Grey that it was now too cold to eat.

With the microwave humming in the background Tanya switched on the TV and settled down on the sofa. After a minute or two Grey passed behind her with a towel around his waist and then reappeared dressed and rubbing his hair with the towel. "Just in time, get the food will you?" Tanya said as the microwave dinged.

"Sure thing" He said grabbing the plate and placing it on the coffee table. "So who's up?"

Tanya looked across at him glad that he looked like he was enjoying himself, "That girl just finished and now here comes the next contestant." A large man with long white hair and a blue suit stepped forwards. "Wait a minute, I know him." Tanya leaned forwards, "He was a friend of my dad!"

"Oh, is-is he good?" Grey stammered twisting his hands together.

Tanya thought over her answer before replying, "Well I never really saw him in action but I hear he was good a few years ago. He hasn't competed for a while."

On the screen the man held out a pokeball, "Go Kirlia!" A waist high Pokemon appeared in the centre of the stage twirling slowly. "Shadow ball then confusion!" The Pokemon held up its hands and a ball of black energy appeared, holding it up Kirlia's eyes glowed purple and ball began to change shape.

"Wow! The shadow ball has changed to the shape of a giant star!" The crowd were wild and the announcer was almost lost for words.

"Finish up with teleport and magical leaf!" and in an instance Kirlia was gone.

The announcer was the first to spot her, "Look up there!" The shadow star was floating high above the stadium, Kirlia just visible beside it. "What now?" the announcer yelled as the star burst spreading out like a firework.

Back in the room Grey was staring at his feet his hands clenched so tight his knuckles were white. Tanya looked across at him and said in a soothing voice, "Hey, why don't you go get some rest?"

"No I really should see this" Grey was now shaking

"Look Grey, if you keep torturing yourself like this you'll end up crashing out before you even perform. Don't worry, it's all gravy." Tanya forced him to his feet and marched him to his room. She shut the door with a sigh and flopped back into her seat.

The next morning Grey was up bright and early, he was leaning against the railing on the balcony looking out over the forest humming tunelessly to himself. "Today's the day then." Tanya's voice made him jump; she walked over and stood next to him. "So what you going to do for your performance?"

"Sorry that's a secret." She was sure she saw the shadow of a confident smile flicker across his face.

"Come on, you could at least tell me who you're using. Is it Raoul?" Grey just shook his head, "Maria? Evita? You got a new Pokemon didn't you, you caught one of those butterfree, what did you name it?"

Grey groaned, "Look I didn't catch a new Pokemon so if I tell you will you stop babbling?" Tanya nodded, "I'm debuting Maria's new look." her mouth fell open in shock, "you'll have to wait and see. Now get ready, we have to be at the stadium to sign in just over an hour and I'm in the bathroom first!" He rushed past her and through the open door. When what had happened finally sunk in Tanya let out a groan of frustration and stomped back inside to wait for the shower to be free.

Hours later Tanya stood in the contestant waiting room. She was watching the screen that displayed the stage. After the latest challenger had finished their appeal she looked around again, "Where is that boy?" She muttered, "He's supper late!"

"Tanya Bellamy to the stage please." A voice came though the speakers.

She glanced around once more before leaving, "I hope he gets here in time for his appeal."

Tanya ran out onto the stage, her hands held high, to the applause of the crowd. The stadium was even more packed than yesterday. She held her pokeball up and chucked it forwards, "Let's show them what we got Bugsy!"

The green bug Pokemon emerged from the pokeball and stood in an intimidating manner, the sun glinting off its arm blades, "Scyther!" It cried in agreement.

Tanya nodded, "OK just like we practised, sunny day and silver wing!" Bugsy began to sparkle and clouds that had been hanging around all day were pushed away. The Pokemon then fanned it's wings and they turned silver, glistening in the bright sun.

"Bugsy is giving us an impressive light show folks!" The crowd roared its approval. Bugsy started to flap it's wings, sending sparks of light out across the stadium.

Tanya was lost in the thrill of the performance "Bugsy use bug buzz!" The Pokemon nodded and then let out a loud hum by vibrating its wings even faster.

"The sound is oddly mesmerising." The announcer said in little more than a whisper.

In one of the dressing rooms Grey was fussing over Maria's appearance, much to her disdain. Raoul and Evita were watching in wonder, "Turt." Raoul, a small green and brown turtle, pointed out, "Turtwig."

"I know and I'm sorry for being fussy but we need to be perfect. Isn't that right Evita?" He reached down to pet the blue amphibian.

"Mud, mudkip!" Evita smiled and jumped to the floor to retrieve a flower Grey had dropped. At that moment an announcement come over the speakers calling Grey to the stage.

He stood up holding three pokeballs; "OK guys exit stage right." The three Pokemon were returned and Grey turned to run to the stage, the closer he got the less he worried he was until he jumped out of the doorway confidence incarnate, "Centre stage Maria!" The black Pokemon flipped and landed in the exact centre of the field. "First we have a dance number, rain dance!" Maria began to twirl and spin in an elegant dance; the clouds scattered by Tanya's sunny day were drawn back and grew darker till they burst.

The announcer was going wild, "Look at that beautiful dance, the haze of the rain only intensifies its beauty." Back stage Tanya watched with awe and admiration, this was what had first convinced her to join the contests rather than challenge the gyms.

Grey was enjoying himself immensely, "Act 1: Collect the water with icy wind!"

"Sneasel!" Maria cried and swung her arms out. Suddenly a chill wind picked up herding the rain into a ball that got colder and colder till it froze solid. The ice ball landed on the ground with a thud and Maria jumped up on top of it, "Sneasel!"

"Act 2: Smash it with focus punch!" Maria held up her hand and it began to glow white. She brought it down on the ice instantly turning it into fragments that shimmered in the air. "Now curtain call Maria!" The Pokemon bowed her sleek body to the applause.

Grey turned to the judges for some feedback. "The way you imitated nature was absolutely astounding!" "You made the moves flow one after the other so naturally!" "I think you could win this!" Their words rang in his ears as he left the stage but if anyone had been watching they would have seen his shoulders slump and his face rearrange into a grimace of worry as soon as he got into the corridor to the dressing rooms.

Suddenly Tanya jumped out behind him and enveloped him in a hug. When Grey had finished screaming she spoke up, "Saw your appeal, it was fantastic!"

Grey looked back into her eyes, "R-really I though it went badly."

"Don't worry, it's all gravy." She started to push him down the hall, "come on we need to get some food in you."

Tanya and Grey were sat at one of the many plastic tables set up outside the stadium. Their eyes, one pair calm and confident the other worried and half closed, were on the large screen that was about to show the thirty-two co-ordinators that would go on to the next round, the food sitting forgotten on the table. The list started to appear one name at a time, #1: Jasmine Yale, and so on until #12: Tanya Bellamy. "Good you got in." Grey tried to smile but failed miserably, he sighed as the list finished, "Guess I didn't, didn't think I would anyway."

Tanya looked at him in surprise, "Yeah you did. Look there #30: Greyback Silverfang." She smiled as he grimaced at the name on the screen, "Come on cheer up!"

"But I'm third from last, that means I did awful." He started to get up; "I need to rehearse some more before tomorrow."

Tanya grabbed his arm and pulled him back into his seat, "Sit down, we're going to celebrate getting through." She turned round and snapped her fingers, "Garcon, we need some champagne over here!"

Grey blushed "Tanya! We're underage!"

"Relax, I'm just joshing, it's all gravy." She giggled and took a bite from her cold burger. Grimacing she wrapped it in her napkin and threw it in the bin, "Score!" Grey did the same and got ready to through it but changed his mind got up and dropped in straight in the bin. "Hey look the match ups are on screen!" Tanya cried.

Grey frantically scanned for all the people he knew. Luckily Rio and Kiba were the other side than him and Tanya so they would only meet in the finals. Then he saw something that made him gulp, his first match was with the guy Tanya had recognised the other day and his second, if he won, was Tanya or Jasmine, the number one. "It's not all gravy."

Grey was pacing the small anti-room in terror. King was leaning against the wall, "Kid would you just sit down."

Tanya stepped forwards and crossed her arms, "Lay off dude!"

"Look just because I knew your dad doesn't mean you can boss me around."

Jasmine also stepped forwards and giggled, "Let's not argue. It makes for a bad atmosphere."

An announcement came over the speakers calling Grey and King for their match, "Time for me to wipe the floor with you, kid" He walked off leaving Grey stood there shivering.

He felt a hand in his own and turned to see Tanya, "Don't worry, it's all gravy." He managed to make a good impression of a smile and left for the stage stumbling as he went.

"So you like him then?" Tanya swung round confusion plastered all over her face. Jasmine was stood wearing a serene smile, "I've seen you looking at him, you always look at him."

Tanya growled "Look you."

"Oh I touched a nerve."

"Shut up you." She growled again and stepped forwards and grabbed her collar.

Jasmine just pointed at the screen; "Hey they're about to start!"

King called out a Pokemon Tanya didn't recognise but luckily Grey took out his pokedex to look it up, she could hear the mechanical voice through the speakers, "Zangoose, it has feuded with Seviper for generations, it's sharp claws are its biggest weapons."

Tanya stared to look worried for the first time that day, "He doesn't have anything that can take on that." she whispered her hand covering her mouth.

"Your boyfriends going to lose to King then." Jasmine seemed very calm considering Tanya still had her lifted off her feet, "And you? Can you beat me?" She was smirking at her opponent.

"Shut up!" Tanya slammed the younger girl into the wall and dropped her. She looked up in time to see Grey make his choice of Pokemon.

"Centre stage Evita!" The small blue Pokemon was about a third of the height of the Zangoose but both her and Grey were cool and collected.

"Time to go! Zangoose metal claw!" The white Pokemon ran forwards his claws taking on a metal sheen. There was a crash as the claws struck the ground; Evita had dodged between the larger Pokemon's legs. Zangoose turned and tried to hit her again and again but she kept dodging.

"Looks like you're losing Major points!" Grey called and looking at Evita, "Time for the first act, return!" Evita jumped up onto Zangoose's head and using it as a springboard she flipped into the air, twisting in an elegant circle.

Back stage Tanya and Jasmine were still in shock. "Wow, I see why you like him." The younger girl whispered, "He really is amazing."

Tanya whirled round, "How old are you?"

Jasmine blushed, "T-twelve, why?"

"He a bit old for you don't you think?"

"Love doesn't care about age!" She flushed even further. "I hope you don't plan to stand in my way!"

"Look we both don't like our feelings being brought up so let's agree not to OK?" Tanya held out her hand, "Well?"

Jasmine hesitated and then grabbed her hand, "Deal, but we also don't tell Grey about each other." Turning back to the screen the girls saw that King had switched to night slash, Zangoose's claws were glowing a deep purple and left trails in the air. Jasmine gasped, the strike was too close to dodge.

Grey wasn't panicked, "Act two: protect!" A green shield went up just in time to block the attack.

A loud buzzer sounded, "And that's the end, King's points have hit zero and Grey's haven't even fallen once!" The crowd was roaring in approval.

King growled, "I won't forget this kid!" and then he was gone.

As Grey was leaving he saw Jasmine rush past him and then Tanya followed slowly, "What's up with her?" he asked nodding back at the stage.

"Just eager for battle I guess" Tanya shrugged.

"Oh, w-well good l-luck then"

Tanya just smiled, "I can handle her. Don't worry, it's all gravy."

As the two girls stared across the battlefield at each other the tension was almost tangible. Tanya was first to move, never breaking eye contact; she called out her Pokemon, "Let's go, Loudred!"

Jasmine followed her elder's example; "Here we go Dragonet!" The shoulder high red Pokemon released stood eyes closed and his arms folded. "You ready, old lady!"

"I was born ready brat!" then the signal to start came and the arena was covered in movement, "Loudred fire blast!" The blue Pokemon opened its mouth and released a ball of flame that formed into a star, propelled at the opposing Pokemon.

"Iron tail Dragonet." Jasmine's Pokemon spun round; eyes still closed, and swatted it out of the air with its tail. "You have no idea about my Pokemon's element do you? Why don't you look it up on your pokedex?"

Tanya growled but pulled out her pokedex any way, "Charmeleon, in the rocky mountains where they live, their fiery tails shine like stars." She scanned the screen and sighed.

"Fire type so fire blast and flamethrower won't be very effective, but on the other hand... Loudred solar beam." The Pokemon nodded and turned towards the bright sun and it's antenna started to glow. Charmeleon opened its eyes halfway and ran forwards but before he had reached even the centre of the stage Loudred opened its mouth unleashing a powerful blast of green energy that slammed into the red Pokemon. Dragonet was catapulted end over end until he crashed into the edge of the stage.

"Ouch that has to hurt. Jasmine's points are falling and she seems to have stalled!"

"Loudred finish this with another solar beam!"

"No! Dragonet use dragon claw!" As the beam of collected energy blasted towards him Jasmine yelled, "Dodge it and get up close!" Dragonet jumped to his feet and then flipped over the beam, landing beside it and holding up his claw, which started to glow brightly.

Tanya was visibly worried now; "Solar beam once more!" but the fire type dodged again this time landing just behind Loudred. "Turn around!" But it was too little too late as Dragonet's claw descended on Loudred's head knocking it to the floor. Tanya looked at the board, "No time left! Loudred get up!" but as the Pokemon got to his feet the klaxon sounded. The points were close but Jasmine was still the clear winner. "Return Loudred, you did your best. Hey great match Jazz." she called across the field.

The younger girl blushed and yelled back, "Don't call me that! Only call me Jasmine!"

Since it was now the second round of their block Jasmine had to stay on the field and Grey would replace Tanya. When Tanya had gone she started to mutter to herself, "Maybe I should throw the match. Perhaps then Grey would like me and then..." she blushed so much at the image her imagination had dreamt up the she was almost the same colour as Dragonet.

"Hey you OK over there?" She heard Grey yell and nodded vigorously.

Jasmine recalled Dragonet and released another Pokemon. She pulled him close and whispered in his ear, "OK Lancelot go easy on him I'm going to throw the match but make it look good." Lancelot, a tyrogue, looked confused but nodded his understanding.

Grey looked at his opponent's Pokemon and scratched his chin; "Well I guess I should use Raoul. Right centre stage Raoul!" The green Pokemon landed heavily and stumbled causing the crowd to burst out lathing, "Good the comic relief works." He smiled and turned to the camera, punching the air he called out, "Yo Tanya! Watch me beat her for you!"

Jasmine could feel the look of confusion on her face, "Uh Grey could I ask you a question? It's kind of personal." Grey raised an eyebrow but nodded anyway, "Well um I err. Why do you like Tanya?" The last five words were delivered in a rush and Jasmine wasn't sure how Grey would decipher them.

The boy blinked at the unexpected question, "Well . . . I guess it's because she never gives up and believes in me one hundred percent. Hope that answers your question." He smiled at her.

A week later Grey and Tanya were stood at the rail of the ship about to leave for sinnoh. "Don't worry about losing; you did make it one round further than me." Tanya was saying.

"Yeah and for a first timer that was great." Rio walked up and stood next to them.

"A-And I have b-been training my w-whole life." They turned to see Jasmine twiddling her thumbs.

Far off in a different part off the ship two men stood in front of a screen. On the display was the group of four.

"That's them."

"Are you sure sir?"

"Yes, look there the boy's wrist."

"A metal band?"

"Steel actually, and the design on it. Also the black girl's necklace with the stone on it and the younger one's diamond ring."

"What about the older woman."

"The tattoo on her neck is the one we need. Now to enact our plan we need to get them together a snowpoint temple."

* * *

Ok this was writen a while ago to introduce my characters in a friends pokemon story. He is no longer writing it so I decided to post it here.

I am thinking of redoing it but tell the whole story of how Grey got to the grand festival but have other storys to finish first.

I picked contests for my charater as the origenal story it was for already had someone after the badges and someone wanting to be a pokemon master. I also like the beuty of contests and my mind natraly works the way a coordinater's does.

The set up at the end was going to be explored in my friends story so may never actualy get told but it was to do with the regis I will say that much.


End file.
